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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · charge · chair · can · spring · key · wake · bay

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. charge — in control
  3. spring — a coil
  4. key — for a lock
  5. charge — electricity
  6. key — the most important part
  7. spring — the season
  8. wake — a trail
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. charge — a price
  15. key — in music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. spring — of water
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com